Building on pandemic relief and recovery programs, the federal government is making historic investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in advancing digital equity, literacy, and inclusion for all. The IIJA highlights the important role that community anchor institutions, like libraries, will play in creating a digitally equitable future for all.
ALA advocates with and for libraries to ensure their eligibility and inclusion in federal, state, and local programs. ALA will continue to add to this web page and share policy information, best practices, funding opportunities, and a range of resources from libraries and partner organizations to support your digital equity work. We also encourage you to share your stories with us so we can continue to promote and share the contributions libraries are making to advance digital equity in their community.
Overview
- Featured Resource: What Your Library Needs to Know: Seeking State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Funding
- Join our Digital Inclusion Working Group! Connect with fellow library workers, exchange digital equity knowledge, and stay up to date on digital inclusion policy updates.
- Featured Resource: Ensure State Digital Equity Plans Include Libraries
- Report: Leveraging Libraries to Achieve Historic Progress Towards Digital Equity for All
- Policy Brief: Digital Equity and America's Libraries
Federal Funding for Digital Equity and Inclusion
- Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Programs: Internet For All Programs
- NTIA: Find Your State BEAD and Digital Equity Plans/Proposals
- NTIA: A Guide for States and Territories on Leveraging Libraries in digital Inclusion Efforts
- NTIA: Health Equity and Digital Equity
- NTIA: Digital Equity Act Programs (DEA)
- State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program
- Program Info Sheet
- Digital Equity Plan Guide
- Benton Institute for Broadband & Society: Overview of State Digital Equity Capacity Grants
- Benton Institute: Summaries of State Digital Equity plans
- American Libraries: What Libraries Need to Know about the Digital Equity Act
- Archive of "Gearing Up for the Digital Equity Act With Libraries" webinar, co-presented by national Skills Coalition (NSC), ALA, and PLA
- Public Libraries: Federal Broadband Funding Guidelines Now Available for States to Begin Planning, Applications
- Quello Center for Media and Information Policy: Digital Opportunities Compass: Metrics to Monitor, Evaluate, and Guide Broadband and Digital Equity Policy
- NTIA: Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD)
- FCC: Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
- ACP Wind-Down Fact Sheet
- ACP Fact Sheet
- Education Superhighway: ACP Adoption and Enrollment Dashboard
- ALA: Affordable Connectivity Program Outreach Fact Sheet
- Public Libraries: Libraries Eligible for New Digital Equity Outreach Funding; (DEADLINE PASSED)
Resources and Tools for Libraries and Other Advocates
Getting Started
- NEW! ALA: What your Library Needs to Know: Seeking State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Funding
- ALA: Ensure State Digital Equity Plans Include Libraries
- ALA: Leverage Federal Funds to Advance Digital Equity in your Community
- ALA: Amplify and Connect Your Assets
- ALA: Federal Funding Resources
- NTIA: BroadbandUSA
- State Broadband Leaders Network
- Needs Assessment Guide
- Asset Mapping Guide
- State BEAD and Digital Equity Plans and Challenge Process Portals
- Webinar: How Libraries and Schools are Partnering on Digital Equity for Students (August 29, 2023)
- NDIA and NYSL: Digital Inclusion Toolkit
- Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA): Find the top library officials in your state
- ALA: State E-Rate Coordinators
Supporting Home Broadband Adoption
- Next Century Cities: Anticipated ACP Wind-down Timeline
- FCC: ACP Outreach Toolkit
- PLA: DigitalLearn and the Affordable Connectivity Program Basics
- Education Superhighway: Get ACP.org
- everyoneon: Find Low-Cost Internet in Your Area
Supporting Digital Skills
- PLA: DigitalLearn
- NDIA: Digital Navigator Toolkit
Webinars
- Upcoming:
- April 15th at 1pm ET: Advancing Digital Equity Through Federal Programs and Library Partnerships
- April 17th at 2pm ET: Digital Equity Champions for All Learners: Partnering to Advance Digital Equity
- Past:
- How Libraries Can Upgrade Their Internet Through the BEAD Program (February 2024)
- How Libraries and Schools are Partnering on Digital Equity for Students (August 29, 2023
- "Gearing Up for the Digital Equity Act With Libraries" webinar co-presented by National Skill Coalition (NSC), ALA, and PLA (April 2022)
Learn More
- Benton Institute for Broadband and Society
- Pew Research Center: Digital Divide
See What Other States are Doing
- TSLAC: Texas Public Libraries: Serving Communities to Enhance Digital Literacy
- Idaho Commission for Libraries: Digital Inclusion Game
- Idaho Commission for Libraries: Idaho Digital Access Workbook
- State Library of North Carolina: Digital Inclusion in North Carolina
More to come! Does your state library have a digital equity resources? Send it our way!
Library Digital Equity Work in the News
- January 24, 2023: Emily Drabinski: Will Congress Keep Its Broadband Promise?
- May 25, 2023: FCC Announces More Funding Opportunities for ACP Outreach Grants
- May 18, 2023: What's New in Digital Equity: WIdely Signed Letter Supports the ACP
- January 8, 2023: Tech Advances leaving many in CT locked out of jobs and economy
Staff Contacts
Megan Janicki
mjanicki@alawash.org
Larra Clark
lclark@alawash.org